Transcript Highlights:

• Another component has been our data, because we have many silos of data, whether...
• Our data, because we have many silos of data, whether it's the central registry on EMS personnel or the
• Data is a big one.
• Data, but how we share it back out. And often how we define data.
• And so data is a big one, redesigning how we are collecting, hearing data, measuring it, and utilizing

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• People are people, and you know, if you are going to have across-the-state data, the more consistent
• People are people, and you know, if you are going to have across-the-state data, the more consistent
• </c> are going to have across the state data are going to have across the state data the<01:03:34.000
• </c><01:21:48.800><c> Uh,</c> analytics and and finance or at DOE?
• Uh, analytics and and finance or at DOE?

Summary: The subcommittee began its first meeting on retained education funding bills, focusing on HB 366, which concerns school building aid for eligible projects, and HB 295, which would make school building aid program funds non-lapsing. The chair framed the discussion around broader questions about how school building aid should work, noting the state’s limited available funding, the existing debt service obligations, and whether the current formula should continue or be changed. He also raised concerns about the state’s overall revenue constraints and the need to consider renovation, new construction, and possibly leasing within any future program. Members and the Department of Education representative discussed whether school building aid is a state or local responsibility, the current backlog of projects, and the condition of school facilities statewide. Tim Carney of the Bureau of School Facilities described his background and answered technical questions about current programs. Representative Luno argued that under the ConVal decision the state has responsibility for school buildings, including construction and renovation, and that the program also serves an equity function by helping districts with less property-tax capacity. Representative Papich urged the committee to focus on policy structure and fairness rather than just available dollars, saying the current system creates winners and losers and suggesting a simpler per-capita or similar allocation model, while acknowledging a possible transition for projects already in the pipeline. The discussion also covered CTE facilities and leasing. Carney explained that charter schools, and possibly CTE centers, can receive limited leasing aid, and that CTE capital requests are funded through a state capital process, while federal Carl Perkins funds cannot be used for construction. He and others described a separate rotational funding approach for CTE centers, but several members said that model can leave programs waiting too long and may not match changing workforce needs. The chair and others noted that a report from a related study group on CTE policy and funding was still pending, and that its absence could affect legislation for FY28. No votes were taken and no bill was acted on in the portion of the meeting provided; the discussion ended with interest in modeling alternatives, reviewing the waiting list, and examining the tradeoffs of reducing upfront state aid versus funding more projects overall.

Transcript Highlights:

• with the author and his team about soil and debris removal, post-disaster, and existing gaps in the data
• with the author and his team about soil and debris removal, post-disaster, and existing gaps in the data
• necessary to respond to the comment. disaster and existing gaps in the data necessary to respond to
• chemicals, and we're very supportive of that component because it is currently missing in the smoke claims data
• So when I was looking at this bill prior to coming in here today, my little analytical mind took over

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Transcript Highlights:

• modernize operations, FDLE requests $3.3 million to purchase 260 new instruments and a cloud-based data
• you can provide more detail on the final line here, improving illegal immigration, intelligence, and data
• Ultimately, at the end of the day, the only outcome and data that we have to look at as lawmakers is
• received a few years ago, but we need the IT networks in their areas. $3.5 million is for search and analytics
• The study has to examine how a system could enable real-time data sharing with law enforcement, assign

Bills: S0054 , S0156 , S0296 , S0298

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on the Governor’s fiscal year 2026-27 public safety budget, which totals about $8.2 billion within a $117.4 billion overall state budget. Caitlin Dawkins of the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget outlined funding and reductions across the public safety silo, including the Department of Corrections, Juvenile Justice, FDLE, Legal Affairs, the courts, and related entities. Agency heads then presented their requests, with FDLE seeking funding for fentanyl enforcement, career offender registry staffing, alert system upgrades, alcohol testing equipment, officer mental health, criminal alien detection, and statutory staffing needs; DJJ requesting money for the Florida Scholars Academy, uniforms, residential contract rate increases, a new Broward detention center, and facility maintenance; and DOC requesting major funding for correctional officer pay increases, 500 additional FTE, facility construction and maintenance, communications and security technology, offender information system modernization, inmate health care, pharmaceuticals, and food service. Members discussed staffing shortages, prison conditions, immigration enforcement, public records burdens, mental health and substance use treatment, and the need for continued investment in corrections. A member of the public also testified about poor conditions in some prisons, including clothing, food, medical care, and maintenance issues. The committee then considered and passed CS/SB 156, the Jason Rayner Act, which would clarify that a person may not resist a law enforcement officer with violence when the officer is performing official duties and would increase penalties in cases involving violence against officers. The bill sponsor described the case of Officer Jason Rayner and said the measure was intended to prevent defendants from using claims about unlawful detention or arrest to justify violence. An amendment conforming the bill’s language was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably after support was noted from several law enforcement and municipal groups. Next, the committee passed CS/SB 54, which addresses use of substances affecting cognitive function. An amendment narrowed the medical-records language to records relevant to investigations of violent offenders and clarified privacy protections. The bill was then reported favorably. The committee also passed CS/SB 296, the Haven Act, which would direct a study of a secure web-based alert system for domestic violence victims so they can contact 911 without alerting an abuser, and would expand the Address Confidentiality Program to include dating violence victims. Testimony from survivors and advocates emphasized the danger victims face when trying to leave abusive situations. Finally, the committee passed CS/SB 298, the public-records companion bill, which extends confidentiality protections for participants in the Address Confidentiality Program to dating violence victims as well. All three bills were reported favorably, and the committee adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:19:50.199><c> from</c> me kind of looking at some data from me kind of looking at some data from
• Any data on that?
• tools, kind of, you know, really kind of electronic and data and data matching and increasingly AI tool
• </c> program using a variety of analytics program using a variety of analytics tools<01:42:09.199><c>
• data and data matching electronic and data and data matching and<01:42:14.760><c> increasingly</c><01

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, this includes translational drug development, early-phase clinical trials, and data and AI and R&
• </c> trials and data and AI and R&amp;D. trials and data and AI and R&amp;D.
• c> the</c><00:14:21.279><c> more</c><00:14:21.519><c> precise</c> data we have, the more precise data
• You got energy analytics specialist, 2,157. Energy program manager, 710.
• </c> uh analytics specialist 2,157. uh analytics specialist 2,157.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a lot of analytics and numbers involved, naturally.
• People are exhausting their benefits, and we have data about exhaustion.
• Based on June 15 data, we project an annual fund balance factor of 50.9%.
• To update these data as we have the opportunity to do so. Thank you.
• And as a legislator, I appreciate good data.

Summary: The Commission on Unemployment Compensation met, established a quorum, and elected Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling as chair and Senator Mike Jones as vice chair. The commission also adopted its electronic meeting policy and heard introductions from new members, staff, and officials from the Secretary of Labor’s office and the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). Secretary Jessica Lumen outlined the administration’s workforce and labor priorities, including supporting workers, employers, and program transparency, while members raised concerns about business climate, job losses, labor participation, and the implementation of paid family and medical leave. Staff provided legislative updates on recent unemployment-related bills. These included increases to the weekly unemployment benefit amount enacted in 2025 and 2026, a bill on labor dispute disqualification that changed how lockouts are treated for benefit eligibility, and a budget item providing $75,000 for actuarial support to the commission. The commission also discussed the 2025 work group on annual adjustments to weekly benefit amounts; staff reported that the work group did not complete its charge, and members agreed to revisit whether to reconstitute it at a future meeting. Delegate Martinez expressed support for continuing the work, and the chair said the issue would be taken up at the next meeting. Deputy Commissioner Joanna Darkus gave a detailed presentation on Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including current claims data, eligibility rules, employer tax structure, benefit levels, trust fund solvency, fraud prevention, and customer service operations. She reported that Virginia’s unemployment rate remains low, weekly claims are modest, the current weekly benefit range is $160 to $478, and the trust fund balance factor is projected at 50.9 percent, near the threshold for additional employer charges. Members asked about the taxable wage base, trust fund solvency, the effect of benefit increases, fraud controls, and the planned paid family and medical leave program. VEC said it is implementing that program through regulations, staffing, IT procurement, public listening sessions, and consultation with other states. A public commenter from the Virginia Poverty Law Center urged the commission to strengthen state investment in unemployment insurance and warned that federal support is uncertain. The commission then adjourned without taking further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Justice sought access to our voter data.
• Data—we talked about data privacy—and so we're still looking at what information the state is taking
• We are still supporting the state's ongoing enterprise data audit.
• And then working throughout, just even outside of the data audit, looking at data privacy and protection
• So that's the analytics and the access.

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the modeling and analytics.
• We think it's important to have that data.
• That 24-hour data is huge to us.
• We think it's important to have that data.
• That 24 hour data is huge to us.

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, and we've been working with Minute to develop some enhanced data analytics capabilities um so that
• <00:23:22.880><c> data.
• </c> Minute to develop some enhanced u data Minute to develop some enhanced u data analytics<00:23:46.799
• </c> the data. the data. &gt;&gt; Thank<00:24:09.600><c> you.
• </c> has the program shown us as far as data has the program shown us as far as data points?

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Data centers, over $200 billion there. $7.5 billion in my area alone.
• There are a lot of analytics and numbers involved, naturally.
• People are exhausting their benefits, and we have data about exhaustions.
• Based on June 15 data, we project an annual fund balance factor of 50.9%.
• And as a legislator, I appreciate good data.

Transcript Highlights:

• Decades of data show the most large wildfires start near existing roads, not in untouched forests.
• You've each given this issue life, data, passion...
• Decades of data show the most large wildfires start near existing roads, not in untouched forests.
• You've each given this issue, life, data, passion, or something.
• You've each given this issue, life, data, passion, and purpose.

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• I can't answer the authority part of it, but as we notice these trends and look at data analytics, that's
• Do you have data, though?
• And it's a tribute to the fact that the public has this data. The CEC has a lot of data.
• We don't know what that data is.
• This is data, SB 1322 data showing the refining margins going back to 2023 when the data from SB 1322

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing on managing the transportation fuels transition, fuel pricing, and supply reliability. Chair Allen opened by discussing prior legislation, including SB 1322 and special session measures, that expanded reporting to the California Energy Commission (CEC) and gave the state tools to study gasoline costs, refinery margins, inventories, and potential supply disruptions. He framed the hearing around refinery closures, rising imports, global conflict affecting crude markets, and the need to balance affordability, reliability, and the state’s long-term clean-fuels transition. CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda, CDTFA Chief Deputy Director Gentian Droboniku, and DPMO Director Ty Miller presented data showing California’s growing dependence on imported crude and refined products, declining in-state refining capacity, and stable-to-tight inventories that are being supported by higher imports. They said the new transparency laws have improved understanding of the market and pointed to the proposed Gateway Pipeline, marine imports, and distribution constraints as important supply issues. CDTFA and DPMO emphasized that retail margins, especially for branded gasoline, have widened significantly, with large price gaps between branded stations and hypermarts/unbranded stations, and that some of the recent price increases were tied to the Iran conflict while earlier spikes were more consistent with localized market behavior and possible price gouging. DPMO also said it is investigating high-priced branded stations, monitoring algorithmic pricing under AB 325, and continuing to analyze diesel spot-market transparency. The CEC and CARB also discussed the Transportation Fuels Transition Plan and the SB 237 assessment, describing them as efforts to plan for a managed decline in fossil fuel demand while protecting workers, communities, and consumers. They said California’s climate goals remain centered on an 85% greenhouse gas reduction by 2045, with continued use of liquid fuels expected but with lower-carbon alternatives, more efficient vehicles, and alternative fuels playing a larger role. Committee members focused heavily on workforce impacts, the need for concrete transition planning, and whether the agencies could provide a clearer picture of what California’s fuel system will look like under the state’s long-term goals. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• want to have... ...special transportation to the school of origin, and so we may want to consider data
• Chair and members of the committee, we actually don't collect data on by demographic for how much it
• would cost to transport students out of the state, so the CYFD estimate should be the most accurate data
• would cost to transport students out of the state, so the CYFD estimate should be the most accurate data
• Chair, is simple and practical: to gather better data and information first.

Bills: SB234 , SB210 , SB243 , SB244 , SM16 , HB8

Committee: Senate House Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee began by announcing that SB 210 would be rolled over to Friday and would not be heard. The committee then returned to SB 234, which would provide foster child school transportation funding statewide rather than only for Albuquerque Public Schools. Members adopted an amendment striking the APS-only language and making the bill statewide after testimony from the sponsor, PED, and others that foster youth transportation is a growing issue and should have its own funding stream. The committee discussed how the money might be distributed and whether the $1.2 million appropriation would be sufficient, then voted do pass on SB 234 as amended. The committee next heard HB 8, which creates a Higher Education Major Projects Fund for large capital projects that are difficult to fund through existing capital outlay processes. Testimony from the sponsor, LFC, HED, and university representatives explained that the bill would support projects such as the UNM School of Medicine, an NMSU multidisciplinary building, student housing, student life projects, and certain Division I athletic facilities, while requiring design readiness, institutional matches, and legislative oversight. Several senators raised concerns about the clarity of the prioritization process, the Division I-only athletics language, the recurring nature of future funding, and the relationship to other capital funding streams, but the committee ultimately voted do pass on HB 8. The committee then considered SB 243 and SB 244, nearly identical bills for UNM and NMSU that would each appropriate $5 million for student health, student support, nutrition, travel, scholarships, and other athletic department needs. Athletic directors testified that conference realignment, higher travel costs, nutrition demands, and new revenue-sharing/NIL obligations have increased expenses, and sponsors said the bills were intended as one-time appropriations. Some senators questioned whether the requests should be recurring or funded through university revenue rather than the state, but both bills received do pass recommendations. Finally, the committee heard SM 16, as amended, which asks HED to convene a task force to study parenting students in higher education and recommend ways to collect data and improve support. Supporters said better data is needed to understand barriers such as child care and transportation, and the memorial passed with a do pass recommendation. The committee then adjourned until Friday morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Recommendations maintain article nine, section 708, which requires agencies to report HUB data in their
• Item three highlights the agency's plan to maintain and report data for HUB goals and ensure increments
• We also request an additional $20 million for IT modernization enhancements to improve data analytics
• Correct, and it has some control function built into it that allows us to maintain the data.
• All state agencies will report data in the same format.

Bills: SB 1 , SB1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• I've got some data analysts. We can look at the types of substances.
• Yes, so we don't have a lot of data on that.
• analytics, and we assure financial accountability.
• analytics, and we assure financial accountability.
• So, and it looks like in the last year that we have data for, we spend, Okay.

Summary: The Budget Committee heard the Department of Mental Health’s FY 2027 budget presentation, with Director Valerie Hoon outlining a $4.4 billion department budget, including $1.7 billion in general revenue, and describing the department’s roles in substance use, behavioral health, and developmental disabilities services. Early questioning focused on marijuana-related mental health impacts, but the main discussion centered on the department’s new decision items, funding sources, and expected wait lists. The director explained several increases tied to Medicaid growth, mental health youth services, outpatient competency restoration, crisis residential services, developmental disability waivers, and provider tax adjustments, along with offsets such as reduced wraparound funding at the Kansas City Assessment and Triage Center and cuts to some youth and self-directed DD services. A major portion of the hearing focused on competency restoration for people found unfit to stand trial and currently held in county jails. Members pressed the department on the cost, effectiveness, and legal implications of keeping people in jail while awaiting services, noting a reported wait list of roughly 524 to 538 individuals and average holds of about 14 months. The department said it currently has eight outpatient competency restoration beds in the community, is seeking funding for 50 additional outpatient slots, and also operates jail-based restoration for about 40 people at a time. Members repeatedly asked for breakdowns of violent versus nonviolent cases, success rates, cost per person, and the split between state and federal funding, while the department explained that Medicaid can cover only the treatment portion, not residential housing or other non-billable costs. The committee also discussed broader capacity constraints in state hospitals and developmental disability services. Hoon said Fulton, Center for Behavioral Medicine, and FTC North are full, with 183 vacancies across the department, and that the department is working on a new Kansas City hospital that would add 150 beds, though completion is now expected closer to 2029 or 2030. In the developmental disabilities section, the department warned that the governor’s recommendation would create wait lists for in-home waiver services and crisis residential services, and members questioned proposed reductions to self-directed services rates and other provider payments. No votes were taken, and the committee recessed before finishing the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• collect sensitive identifying data.
• Quite frankly, they are selling that data.
• And companies use this data to... ...casino industry, this induces overuse, and companies use this data
• Instead, it's about data use.
• It can also be susceptible to data breaches.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity

Summary: The committee held its second hearing on a large docket of technology, internet, cybersecurity, broadband, and media bills. Early testimony focused on community media funding legislation, with lawmakers and local access advocates arguing that as cable subscriptions decline and streaming grows, revenue tied to cable franchises no longer supports community television and PEG programming. Supporters said community media remains a key source of local news, government meeting coverage, and civic transparency as newspapers disappear or consolidate. A related bill on cable contract oversight also drew support, with testimony that the Department of Telecommunications and Cable is backlogged and should more actively review municipal-provider agreements and report its workload to the committee. Another major topic was a proposal to create a Massachusetts Innovation Fund for state IT modernization. The Alliance for Digital Innovation backed the bill, saying agencies need flexible upfront capital to replace outdated systems and improve cybersecurity, and pointing to the federal Technology Modernization Fund as a model. The witness noted that funding for the state program still needs to be identified. The committee also heard strong support for a bill requiring free broadband in public housing, with Rep. Emmela Goodwin and MAPC describing internet access as essential for jobs, school, telehealth, and civic participation. They said the digital divide in Massachusetts is driven largely by affordability rather than infrastructure, though questions were raised about costs, wiring, and whether all housing sites already have broadband access available at the curb. A substantial portion of the hearing centered on bills to limit addictive social media feeds for minors. Supporters, including lawmakers, parents, teens, and advocacy groups, argued that algorithmic feeds contribute to addiction, anxiety, body image problems, and other harms, and said the bills would restrict surveillance-based curation and overnight notifications while leaving search and followed accounts available. Opponents, including FIRE, CCIA, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, argued the bills would require invasive age verification, threaten privacy and cybersecurity, burden adults’ anonymity, and likely face First Amendment challenges. They also warned the measures could disadvantage smaller businesses and may be unconstitutional based on recent court rulings in other states. The committee also heard support for blockchain-related bills creating a commission, a pilot program, and consumer education efforts, with testimony that Massachusetts has the talent but needs a coordinated state strategy. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have to understand first, that data like where that data point come from from a hospital to a pediatrician
• Is it a problem on our side from a data perspective or is it is an education problem to providers that
• So it goes through a lot of checking along the way and and to validate the data that's been submitted
• in the event to validate the data that's been submitted in the event that we identify that, you know
• That data.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a scientist, so I have to show one piece of data and talk about it, okay?
• That's resulted in over a terabyte of data within the data lagoon that we have created and over 2 billion
• Only one of those is ours, but we also have other partners that are contributing data.
• Only one of those is ours, but we also have other partners that are contributing data.
• And we've also begun to leverage that data out of our data lagoon in mathematics to start to develop

Committee: Senate Education Postsecondary

Summary: The Education Postsecondary Committee held its first meeting and focused on state university centers and institutes, with an overview from the Board of Governors on how the more than 500 centers and institutes across Florida’s public universities are categorized, overseen, and reported. The Board described three categories: state-level centers, legislatively established centers, and university-established centers. Members were told universities must maintain policies, notify the Board of changes, publish public inventories, and submit annual reports and compliance certifications. Senator Harrell asked about funding sources and whether underperforming centers are reviewed for elimination; the response was that funding varies by center and that universities decide whether to maintain or disband centers under their own policies, with annual reporting and audit findings shared with the Board. Four university presentations followed. Florida Atlantic University highlighted its Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology, describing research in marine-derived drug discovery, genomics, imaging, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and ocean sustainability, along with spin-off institutes and partnerships that have generated significant grant and contract support. FIU presented its Center of Excellence for Hurricane Damage Mitigation and Product Development, emphasizing the Wall of Wind facility, hurricane and water intrusion testing, code and product innovation, insurance modeling, and future expansion toward higher wind speeds and flood simulation. Florida State University’s High-Performance Materials Institute described work in advanced materials, aerospace composites, sensors, nanocomposites, and AI-enabled materials development, along with patents, industry partnerships, and new facilities tied to economic development. The University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning outlined its work on teacher professional learning, literacy, New Worlds Reading, tutoring, and mathematics supports, including microcredentials, statewide book distribution, and early results showing improved reading confidence and growth. Members generally praised the centers for their research, commercialization, workforce development, and education impacts. Senator Jones and Senator Harrell commended the Lastinger Center’s literacy work and the broader return on investment from these programs, while Senator Berman noted the value of the synergies across institutions. The chair emphasized that future funding requests should clearly show measurable success, commercialization, and statewide impact. The committee then adjourned without any formal votes on legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> job, and workers should know what data job, and workers should know what data is<00:20:02.960><c
• Automated decision systems, or ADSs, are AI tools, essentially machine learning algorithms and data analytics
• Automated decision systems, or ADSs, are AI tools, essentially machine learning algorithms and data analytics
• ,</c> for employees to access their own data, for employees to access their own data, as<00:25:39.480
• </c> collected data. collected data.

Committee: Senate Labor